How to Lift Your Rear Wheel on a Mountain Bike (Flat Pedals Tutorial)

How to Lift Your Rear Wheel on Flat Pedals (MTB Rear Wheel Lift Tutorial)

Learning to lift your rear wheel on flat pedals is one of those MTB skills that seems small, until you realize it’s the missing piece behind so many other moves.

If you want to:

• learn bunny hops the right way

• get your rear wheel up and over trail obstacles

• build better jump and bike-control technique
  then the rear wheel lift is a skill you NEED.

In this guide I’ll break down exactly how I lift my rear wheel on flat pedals, plus the key mistakes most riders make (including mistakes I made myself).

Why Learning Rear Wheel Lift Matters

A rear wheel lift helps you in real trail situations, not just bike park tricks.

Here’s what it unlocks:
✅ bunny hops (rear wheel is the hard part)
✅ clearing rocks, roots, curbs, ruts, and trail trash
✅ better body control for manuals and jumps
✅ smoother riding — less smashing your rear rim into everything

Learn It on Flat Pedals (Trust Me)

This is a big one.

When I was a kid learning jumping, bunny hops, even wheelies, I made the mistake of learning a lot of stuff clipped in.

It worked — and it felt easier.

But later, when I switched to flat pedals and wanted solid technique without relying on clips, it was harder to relearn the movement properly.

So if you’re a beginner (or you’re still early in your progression), I highly recommend:

✅ learn rear wheel lift on flat pedals from day one

You’ll develop real foot control, better timing, and stronger technique that carries over into everything.

Video Tutorial: Rear Wheel Lift on Flat Pedals

Step 1: Lower Your Seat (So It’s Not in the Way)

First thing: lower your seat.

When you’re learning rear wheel lift, you want freedom to shift your weight back and forward without the seat hitting you or blocking your movement.

This isn’t a seated skill, it’s about timing, body position, and weight shift.

Step 2: Start Slow (Walking Pace Works Best)

A lot of riders try to learn this going too fast and get frustrated.

The truth is:

✅ You can learn rear wheel lift at a slow rolling speed, around a walking pace

Going slow makes it easier to:

• feel the weight shift

• control the bike

• avoid panic movements

Once the technique clicks, you can do it faster and higher.

Step 3: Get in a Neutral “Centered” Stance

Before you lift anything, you need the right starting position.

Stand up in a relaxed athletic stance:

• pedals level

• knees bent slightly

• elbows bent

• chest over the center of the bike

Think: your body is balanced over the bike, ready to move.

Step 4: Shift Your Weight Back Over the Rear Hub

Here’s the first key movement:

✅ quickly shift your body weight back — over the rear tire / rear hub

This “unweights” the rear wheel and loads the bike for the next part.

A good mental cue is:
shift back like you’re about to manual (but don’t pull up into a manual).

Step 5: Shift Forward + Scoop the Pedals (This Is What Lifts the Rear Wheel)

This is the part most riders miss.

The rear wheel doesn’t lift because you “jump.”
It lifts because of the combination of:

1. weight shift timing

2. and the flat pedal scoop

Here’s what to do:

✅ shift your weight forward
✅ at the same time, do a rearward scooping motion on the pedals

That scoop is what makes the rear wheel come up.

If you don’t scoop, you’ll feel like the bike just stays glued to the ground.

Tip: The rear/back foot is the main lifting foot. It’s normal for the front foot to not point down as much (and sometimes feel like it slightly unweights or even floats a bit), because the rear foot is the one that “hooks” the pedal and lifts the rear wheel.

Foot Position Tip: Slight Toes Down = More Grip

When I ride flat pedals, I’ve found this helps a ton:

✅ keep your toes slightly pointed down

If your feet are totally flat, it’s easier for them to slip.

And slipping a pedal while learning this skill can lead to the worst thing in MTB:

😬 pedals to the shin

Safety Tip: Wear Shin Guards While Learning

Real talk — I strongly recommend using shin pads / shin guards when learning:

• rear wheel lift

• bunny hops

• jumps on flat pedals

It takes one bad slip to turn training into a bloody mess.

Safety is progress.

Bonus Tip: Rolling Forearms/Wrists Forward

This is a small thing, but it can help.

I’ve found that slightly rolling my forearms and wrists forward can help the timing feel smoother, especially during the shift back → shift forward movement.

Important:
This isn’t a big dramatic move.
Just a subtle technique cue to help the bike respond.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Trying to yank the rear wheel up

The rear wheel lift isn’t a pull. It’s a scoop + weight shift.

❌ Starting too fast

Learn it slow first. Speed can come later.

❌ Keeping the seat too high

Drop it. The seat can ruin your movement.

❌ Feet too flat on the pedals

Slight toes-down gives better grip and control.

Flat Pedal Gear That Helps (Optional)

You don’t need fancy gear to learn this skill, but good flat pedal setup helps a LOT.

Two things matter most:
✅ grippy flat pedals (metal pins help)

• Race Face Chester Flat Pedals (great value + reliable pins)

• OneUp Composite Pedals (super grippy + popular for MTB)
  ✅ sticky shoes (MTB flat pedal shoes grip way better than regular skate shoes)

Five Ten Freerider MTB Shoes (Amazon)

Final Thoughts

If you want better bunny hops, safer trail riding, and real flat pedal control, the rear wheel lift is one of the best skills you can learn.

Start slow, focus on timing, and don’t rush it.

Once it clicks, you’ll be lifting your rear wheel over trail obstacles automatically without thinking — and your riding level jumps up fast.

Want more MTB skill guides?

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